Radius-bob bbacb



SAM C. WALLACE, F RUSTON, LOUISIANA.

RADIUS-ROD BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919..

Application filed April 5, 1919. Serial No. 27,787.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, SAM C. Warme-on, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ruston, in the parish of Lincoln and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Radius-Rod Brace, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to what is com monly known as a radius-rod brace, the ob- `iect of the invention being to provide a brace :forl the conventional radius rod which shall strengthen the same.

lt is well known, referring particularly to cars of the Ford type, that the radius rods, although suiiciently strong for all practical purposes, are not sufficientlyv strong to stand up under continued successive blows or unusual strains to the front axle of the machine. This results in either a bending of the axleor a bending of the radius rod, which latter will cause the axle to swing in slightly, resulting in an improper toeing in of the front wheels, which will cause an excessive amount of wear to the tires.

rlhis invention aims to overcome this defect by providing an additional brace for the conventional radius rod, the application of such brace to the rod not necessitating any change of construction in the conventional arrangement of parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a brace of this nature which may be quickly applied or detached from a position between the front. axle and the inner ends of the radius rod.

A still further object is the provision of a radius-rod brace which shall be adjustable,

whereby the proper degree of tension may be carefully adjusted so as to reiieve the radius rods of a great part of the strain now placed upon them and more evenly divide the same between such main rods and braces. Attention is invited to the attached sheet of drawingsan in which* x Figure 1 is a plan' view illustrating my improved radius rod in applied position;

i Fig.-2 is aview taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

, Fig. 3 is an illustration of the parts in disassembled position.

` In these drawings, 1 designates the conventional bearing of the radius rods, the

latter' being provided with a ball 2 adapted to engage in the usual socket. The radius rods 3 and 4 extend between the front axle 5 and the socket into which the ball 2 progects.

Secured to the radius rods, and having their outer ends secured to the lowermost portion of the axle 5, are braces 6 a'nd 7. Describing briefly one brace, as the construction of one isidentical with that of the other, it will be seen that the same consists of a hollow tube having one of its ends 8 open, the portion adjacent the upper end of the tu-be being slightly odset, as indicated at 9, the end being flattened, as shown at 10, and bifurcated, as indicated by the reference numeral 1l.

As outlined in the preamble, it is a feature of this invention to provide adjustability of the radius rod in a longitudinal direction. To e'ect this function, 1 have provided the front axle 5 with the usual bolt 12. A. screwthreaded eye bolt 14 is slipped over the end 'of such bolt and retained in applied position by means of a nut 13, or other suitable fastening device. rlhe screw-threaded nut of the bolt 14 is inserted in the open und 8 of the rod 6. A nut 15 and a lock nut 16 are mounted upon the screw threads of the bolt 14 and engage the upper edges of the rods 6.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the conventional construction of a radius rod is substantially V-shape, `as indicated in Fig. 1; and itlwill, further, be appreciated that the bifurcated ends 11 of the braces 6 and 7 seat around the crotch of the .radius rods 3 and 4 and are restrained from any acci dental displacement by means of U-bolts 17.

In operation it will be appreciated that the braces may be almost instantly applied to the radius rods, and that the removal of the same by accident is impossible. Also, the brace does not require that the radius rods be changed or modified in the slightest respect to apply them, it being my desire to construct a device of this nature which may be applied to a used automobile as well as a new machine. y y Y Further, the adjustment provided forby means of the screw-threaded l bolt 14 and nuts 15 and 16 makes it possible that the desired tension may be exerted upon the brace 16, and when this has been adjusted any movement of the front axle 5 withdrespect to the radius rods is eectively prcvented.

"axe and the @rote-h of such radius rods,

such brsiomms meorporatmg. 'means for rendering Jehem longitudineiy extensible et 1G their outer' ends, theii` inner ends being slightly ofset, iattened and biuroated and engaging he crotch oi' such radius rods, and clips positioned adjacent such ends and being adapted to secure together the rediusl rods and brace ods,

SAM C. WALLACE. 

